Bookmark this page

share this article

follow Us

padang: The Kelok 9 (9 Turns) overpass in Limapuluh Kota Regency, West Sumatra is ready to be opened with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono slated to visit the overpass on Wednesday.

Yudhoyono will officially open the overpass during the World Food Day ceremony on Thursday, which will be held in Padang, as part of his visit in the province.

Arriving in Padang on Monday just after noon, Yudhoyono will be on the Kelok 9 overpass from Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto before leaving for Bukittinggi.

Djoko said the flyover was constructed over 10 years from 2003 and had been declared roadworthy with road signs and road safety devices.

The minister also said the complicated structure did not involve a single foreign worker from design to construction.

Kelok 9, located at kilometer-143-148, is a vital thoroughfare connecting West Sumatra with neighboring Riau. However, the winding and narrow road in a hilly location, prone to landslides, makes it difficult for larger vehicles, such as articulated trucks and trailers, to pass. It is impossible to widen the road.

The Rp 550 billion (US$49.5 million) project, financed through multi-year state budgets, keeps the original road to maintain its historical value and for tourism purposes. West Sumatra provincial secretary Ali Asmar said Yudhoyono would lead a limited Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to discuss infrastructure and food security with 18 ministers and high ranking officials.

'The President will also visit the Basa Pagaruyung Palace on Wednesday, which has been reconstructed after being razed by fire in 2007.

'He will not officiate the palace on Wednesday but will do it on Thursday as part of the World Food Day ceremony,' he said.